Stellar

Stellar is a decentralized, public blockchain designed to provide tools for developers to create experiences that resemble cash transactions more than traditional cryptocurrency exchanges. The Stellar network is known for its speed, cost-efficiency, and energy efficiency, boasting an average ledger closing time of 5.8 seconds and transaction costs that are a fraction of a US penny. Since November 2022, Stellar has issued over 255 grants and supports over 81,000 onramp locations worldwide. The network’s ecosystem includes on and off-ramps, cross-border payments, and fiat-backed digital assets, supported by the Stellar anchor network which spans over 180 countries and more than 20 digital assets. The Stellar Development Foundation (SDF), a nonprofit organization, backs the development and growth of the network. Soroban, a Rust-based smart contracts platform integrated with Stellar, launched on Mainnet on February 20, 2024, following a successful validator vote. Soroban offers a developer-friendly environment with a Rust SDK, CLI, and RPC server, designed for scalability and sensibility. The Stellar Community Fund supports developers and startups building on the Stellar network and Soroban. Stellar’s network can process up to 1,000 operations per ledger and has handled tens of billions of operations since 2015. It supports the tokenization of 13 digital funds and a Gold token through WisdomTree Prime, a retail financial app available in 41 states that utilizes Stellar-enabled wallets. Stellar Aid Assist, launched by UNHCR in Ukraine, leverages the network to facilitate bulk payments and deliver cash assistance quickly and at low cost to vulnerable populations. MoneyGram locations enable users to deposit and withdraw cash from their digital assets using the Stellar network. Draper University is also investing in the Stellar ecosystem with new accelerator programs focused on AI and Soroban.